Electric gas lighter



March 22 1927.

A. E. CARLSON sLEcTnIoGAs LIGHTER Filed Aug. '7, 1922 Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES vE. CARLSON, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS.

' ELECTRIC GAs LIGHTER.

Application filed August 7, 1922. Serial No. 580,100.

This invention relates to gas lighters and has for its rincipal object,- to make it poSible'to saely and conveniently use the.

alternating current of -the ordinary light- '5 ing" circuit: to produce sparks at a burnerA that can be conveniently hung near a stove' orthe like in-a position easily accessible to v an adult, but out of the-reach of children.

Further objects of the invention will become apparent as thel description is read in connection with' 'the accompanying drawing illustrating selected embodiments of the invention, andin which 1f fFi 51y is a longitudinal sectionall View of one orm ofthe' invention hanging from a suitable bracket; and

Fig.- 2 is asimilar view of a modified form of the invention. I

iR-eferring :to Fig. 1 and the reference numerals thereon, 10 indicates a handle of wood,n hard rubber or other suitable insulating material, which has a longitudinal bore 11 for the reception of a sparking rod 12 of` any suitable metal. The sparking rod preferably projects from'the front end of the handle a suitable distance and is then bent as indicated at 13'to form an arm 14 extending at an angle tothe main body of the rod and terminating in a suit-able point 15. The front end of the handle is counterbored at 16 to receive a tube17 of brass or other suitable material which encloses 'the sparking rod up to the bend 13. This tube is preferably of larger interior diameter than the rod and asbestos or the like is packed in between the tube and the rod to a point adjacent to the end of the tube. A nipple 19 of fibre or the like fits in the end of the tube and has a fiange 2O extending across the end face of the tube and lying flush with its outer surface.

The rear end of the handle is counterbored at 21 to receive a plug 22 of any suitable material such as fibre, bakelite, hard rubber and the like, which is equipped with a nut 23 adapted to screw on to the threaded end 24 of the sparking rod. As shown the 55 nut is provided with a tubular flange 25 which is threadedinto the plug 22. A Awire or cable 26 extends through a passage :27 in the plug and is soldered to the nutv23 at 28. This wire or cable may be Vof any suitable` length which will depend upon the particularf circumstances surrounding each use; The purpose of this wire is to connectftheA sparkingrod with fone sidefof-the electricl lightingcirc'uit.. Itzis `understood that thei other side is grounded, ias iszcustomary in. alternating circuits. The mostconvenient way of making this connection. is to'equip the wire with a plug adaptedto enter.the ordinary Edison socket, but of course it can also be electrically connected with thelight-Y ing circuit in other ways if desired.

A sufficient resistance should be interposed. between the lighting circuit and the sparking rod to prevent blowing a fuse or other wise injuring the wiring because of the low resistance of the sparking rod.

In ordinary practice the sparking rod will be maintained in electrical connectionfwith the `lighting surface and therefore it is -desirable to provide a hanger for the device that will prevent ,it from accidentally coming in contact with any conductor or with. any part of the body of the user. -A convenient support is shown vin section in Fig. 1 where v44 1s a bracket of porcelain '.or like 85 material having a slot 45 in its front end communicating with a groove 46 which leads to a passage 47 in the base fiange48 by which the bracket is secured to the wall or other suitable support 49 by means lof 90 screws 50. The arm 14 of the sparking rod is bent'to form a bow 51 which receives a suitable rib 52 extending across the groove 46 and in conjunction with the passage 47 serves to hold the lighter securely in place.

By swinging the lighter to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, it can be easily withdrawn from the bracket and by reverse movement it is easily replaced with the arm 14 in the bracket and the weight of 100 the handle and other parts will serve to hold it secure in the position shown in Fig.l 1 until it is desired for use when a slight swing outwardly to the dotted line position will permit it to be easily detached.

It is particularly important to have the arm 14 extending at an angle to the'main body to the sparking rod for that permits the handle to be grasped in a convenient and easy manner and the point 15 to be ap- 11;

plied to the burner or other place where the sparks-are` desired without .any twisting ,of the or raising or-turning ther-arm. 'The particular angle shown is probably the most convenient, but of course it can be varied to suit particular uses.

By eliminating switches andi the like and connecting the sparking rod directly and continuously with the .light-ing cirouit, :I eliminate a source of annoyance and trouble irsl .Wel-L asran 'expensive i element,` -and .fat lthe Sametimel. have. provided: aconstruction in which the ssparking: rediscovered except 'at the-.1mm Mawhiohfwhennot in use lies-.within agbracketi :and -is therefore inotfexposed for. .con-tact .with .any conductor -ior with. the person .of the user. When :the lhandle -:is :and the .arm -14 reed AArlnom ."the blanket, f thexposed apart of the :sparking rod is :Aa-.wey firoinathe' 'usen vand :the 'fpoint .is veryiconveniently arranged ffor contact'with thebunner ito-.die ilighted.

:In :Figa 2.1i: have: shown a-:niodified form iniswhichfthe 'resistance irs-.located .within the handleofithe' lamp-lighter. '.Inthis case the handle fis'connterbored'from.the rear to-.a shoulder' 56 :which :receives the :flange 57 .of a miti-58 threadedon :theendnof a sparking rodz9. .Afresistance'unit includingthe base ofninsulaiing-material-Gl, the coil 62, and the caps 63 and -64 is frecei-vedin 'this counterbore. -Tl1e-coil62 preferably dies Vin the lielical-groove iof -tlie'base SG1 and :has its ends.-soldered-orotherwise connected to the l contact -caps .63 :and .64. 'lhe rear-end of the-eountenbore=is threaded at 65 to receive a plug 66v which has a cont-act .piece 6T that presses a spring-f68 against. the cap- 84 and thereby forces:the cap63 -into proper contact withithe Anut 58. The contactpiee .67 is vconneotedfnvith a cable 69 leading .to :a suitable plug for :other device for electrical connection with zthe lighting circuit. The handle 55 lis :provided -with suitable Vventilating-openings POlleading into thecounterhore-and adjacent to the coil GZof the resistanceiunit. -The operation of this form is substantially -the same as Vthat in Fig. il and -it permits the resistance :unit to be housed within thehandle o-thelaniplighter and=enablesthe wire G9 to. be connected-directly 'toithe lighting circuit, or to anyi-suitablex :plug of conventional fform.

1I fam awa-re thathangcsmay bemade in the 4lfonm, construction :and arrangement -of the invention, as -set .forth in the sele'ted embodiment herein, withoutdepartingrom thescope or sacrilicingnny of its material advan fres,:and iLt-herefore reserve the right to make all-snch changes as fairly :fall Avithin thefseope of the following claims:

ilclaim:

1. The=combinat1on of a ;gas lighter inoludingn-sparkingrod having an arm extendinglaterally therefrom, abracket of insulating material adapted to receive said amnfand means for interloekingsaid arm W-ithsaid bracket. i

2, The combination of a gas lighter including an insulating handle, a sparking rod 'mounted in said'hanlle and having an arm .extending laterally therefrom and bent t0 receive: said arm, .and means: for moldings the .4. Hhe combination of e #ges lighten includingua; 'spairlnng rodi having-amanti .Qxtending lat'rally ithenexom, wan .insulating support having 11i-groove f p'enmt: the tdpnt r reqevefsaxd.- arm, a. passageftoimiee the paint .on the. arm, ...and .simens .foriholdng thearm n'saidfgrqve. f

5. The -combinatmnaofia 'gasligbterim abiding a spanking-@rofl ih'nvmg une annie tending .1ateral1y= \therefroin,.an insulating support having-a :.Slotataoneiendim receive said armfnndnieansiffor :holdng'the'anniin' said '.slot. f

cluding .a .sparking f mdf having ,un arm .inX- tending laterally .therefrcm, an insulating support having a slot atfonegendto receive. Said r0d,=a' grooveexendngzfvomedflob to receive said arm, and apamagefjatvnne end-.of-saidgroove to receivehepeint-of saidianm.' f

7. {Phe-.combination of ages lighteninoludng a sparking rod, .an ;a.rm.-ex.tnnding laterally therefrom aan iinsulatngsupport havingaslotatone endftof receive sadJSOd, a. groove extending ,from saidslnt twreeeve said arm, ga passage extending .frcm., sad grooveto receive thepointiof.thearm, and means vinthe ,groove for interlocking with the.arm. i

-8. (Ehe combination of .fa-gas .lighter including fa sparking; rod .having an arm ex tending laterally therefrom, i and aninsulatingzsupport for thelighter havingfmeans .to engage .the arm v .andthe` Pointof..the. .arm and-that -partof themdawhich connets with the armto support .the lighter and prevent it from swinging 'alaterally .on inwardly.

9. fBhe..combnaton :.O .a Egas lighter .in- Cludng sparking rod having an .arml extending .laterally therefrom, an insulating support for the lighter, andameans i011 Said support .for holding 'the 'lighter -in-,llgge' ment therewith.' andfor restricting ,the swing; ingvmovement' of the lighter von the=support to.- a limited outward movement ifor disengagement of.: the .lighten fromthe. support.

10. In .anelectric` gas lighter, the eomb nation cfa 4handle having ahorenxtendng therethrough and a counterbore at each end thereof communicating With said bore, a sparking rod extending through said bore and terminating in a laterally directed arm, a plug seated in the counterbore at the rear end of said handle and connecting with said sparking rod, a tube seated in the counterbore at the front end of said handle, and surrounding said sparking rod, and insulating material between said tube and said sparking rod.

1l. In an electric gas lighter, the combination of a handlehaving a bore therein and a counterbore at its front end communicating with said bore, a sparking rod seated in sai bore and projecting forwardly from said handle, a projecting sleeve seated in said counterbore and encircling the projecting portion of said sparking rod, and a laterally directed arm carried by said sparking rod 20 having a sparking Apoint at the end thereof.

XEL E. CARLSON. 

